Browns notebook: The 354-day dream

Tuesday

At 4:30 p.m. Sunday, appearing as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Rob Chudzinski was asked if he expected to be back in 2014.

"As far as I know," he said.

Before the team bus rolled back into Cleveland, he was the Browns' former head coach. As has been the case with other recent departures, including Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel, Eric Mangini and Pat Shurmur, Chudzinski did not do a news conference in the wake of the announcement he was gone.

A statement attributed to Chudzinski was issued at noon Monday. It said: "I was shocked and disappointed to hear the news that I was fired. I am a Cleveland Brown to the core, and always will be.

"It was an honor to lead our players and coaches, and I appreciate their dedication and sacrifice. I was more excited than ever for this team, as I know we were building a great foundation for future success.

"While clearly I would have liked to see the long-term vision through to the end, I am very grateful to Jimmy Haslam and the Haslam family for letting me live my dream."

The dream lasted 354 days. Chudzinski was hired Jan. 10 and fired with two days left in 2013.

Draft watch

The Browns will have the No. 4 overall pick for the second time in three years. They were one of five teams to finish at 4-12 Sunday, ahead of only Houston (2-14) and Washington (3-13, pick traded to St. Louis). They landed at No. 4, behind 4-12 Jacksonville, based on the draft tie-breaker (strength of schedule).The Browns began the 2012 draft with the No. 4 pick but traded up to No. 3 and picked Trent Richardson. The Browns traded Richardson in September in exchange for the Colts' first-round pick in 2014.

That draft spot could be as high as No. 21 and as low as No. 32, depending on what happens with the Colts and the other 11 teams in the postseason.

"We said all along that we felt like the draft of 2013 did not compare to the draft of 2014," owner Jimmy Haslam said. "We like the talent in the draft of 2014. We have 10 picks ... two firsts, a second, two thirds and two fourths."

Extra points

• CEO Joe Banner alluded to a possible playoff run in 2014, rather than a mode of starting over:

"I don't think that in this era, especially with the cap and the draft, that we're asking people to sit still for some long-term plan.

"You see right now three teams that were picking at the top of the draft last year that have new coaches and are in the playoffs right now.

"I'm not predicting that because that doesn't always happen, but the idea of seeing meaningful progress is something that we don't have any problem with people demanding of us."